Sen. Jon Lundberg

Maddy summaryThis law changes how businesses in Tennessee calculate fees for reporting sales and use taxes to the state. It allows dealers to deduct a specific percentage of their tax payments from the amount they owe, with a cap of $25 per report. The deduction is only available if the business has paid all its taxes on time. Any amount calculated by the formula that exceeds the $25 limit stays with the state. These rules apply to sales and use taxes collected on or after July 1, 2023.

Maddy summarySB 2044 changes how sentence reduction credits are applied to inmates in Tennessee depending on when their crime was committed. For offenses occurring on or after July 1, 2024, these credits can only shorten the percentage of time an inmate must serve before becoming eligible for parole, rather than reducing the total length of their sentence. This means the official end date of a sentence remains fixed, but inmates can earn credits to qualify for parole sooner. The bill also adjusts specific rules for certain serious offenses, ensuring that even with good behavior, inmates must serve a minimum portion of their sentence before parole consideration. These changes apply to all felony sentences of two years or longer, creating a distinction between crimes committed before and after the July 2024 cutoff date.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires county jails and workhouses to check if inmates with HIV previously received medication coverage from state programs like TennCare. If an inmate's prior coverage is confirmed, the state becomes financially responsible for paying for their HIV medication while incarcerated. The legislation allows counties to file claims for reimbursement and permits the use of federal funds to cover these costs.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Tennessee education laws to improve safety protocols in schools and revise how grades and performance goals are used. It requires state professional teaching licenses to be valid for at least eight years and limits the state department of education to reviewing school improvement plans no more than once every three years. These changes aim to streamline administrative processes and establish longer-term standards for educator certification without altering the core structure of public education.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Tennessee local education agencies and public charter schools to offer high school seniors the chance to take nationally recognized career readiness assessments starting in the 2023-2024 school year and continuing in all future years. The law mandates that these assessments must meet specific criteria set by the state to ensure they are valid and reliable measures of student readiness for work or further education. By removing the previous one-year limit, the legislation ensures that every graduating senior has access to these standardized evaluations as part of their graduation requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a backup governance plan for Tennessee state universities if their local boards of trustees are dissolved under state law. When a university board ceases to exist, its management and oversight responsibilities automatically transfer to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission at a specific time on June 29 of that year. The commission must continue existing university rules and policies while taking over duties, though it cannot perform certain tasks if doing so creates a conflict of interest, in which case the governor may assign those duties to another agency. Once a new local board is reformed, control of the university reverts back to that board, and all previously adopted rules remain in effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows parents to submit requests for child support information electronically when the system is available. It amends various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated to update administrative procedures for handling child support cases. The change applies to parents interacting with the state's child support system and streamlines how they can access necessary records online.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the penalty for threatening to commit mass violence on school property or during school-related activities in Tennessee. Under the new law, such threats are classified as a Class E felony rather than a Class A misdemeanor. The change applies only to offenses committed on or after July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill honors Missy Testerman, an English as a Second Language instructor at Rogersville Elementary School, for being named the 2023-2024 National Teacher of the Year. The resolution formally congratulates her on this achievement and acknowledges her thirty-one years of teaching, her leadership roles within her school district, and her contributions to the community. It serves as a public commendation of her professional expertise and dedication to education rather than enacting new laws or policies.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates how industrial development corporations in housing opportunity counties must share information about their projects. It requires these entities to publish specific details on their official websites instead of distributing them only through traditional printed materials. The change applies to corporations formed by counties, municipalities, or groups of these local governments to build infrastructure for residential developments. By moving information online, the legislation aims to make project details more accessible to the public.